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    • Pammy Maye, Darnell Taylor lawsuit says 5-year-old’s death could have been prevented
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    Pammy Maye, Darnell Taylor lawsuit says 5-year-old’s death could have been prevented

    Online Niel Posted on

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    A wrongful-death lawsuit filed on behalf of the estate of 5-year-old Darnell Taylor offers a look at how Pammy Maye came to be in the boy’s life and a series of missed red flags that likely could have saved his life the boy.

    The lawsuit, filed in Franklin County Common Pleas Court, provides the most detailed timeline yet of how Maye, 48, and her husband, Jabrell Mayeobtained temporary legal guardianship of Darnell and pointed to several missed opportunities for intervention.

    The Mayes, Franklin County Children Services, The Buckeye Ranch and 12 Buckeye Ranch employees or administrators are named in the lawsuit. Buckeye Ranch is a nonprofit organization that partners with FCCS to provide a “continuum of child welfare services.”

    Buckeye Ranch and FCCS could not be reached for comment.

    More on Pammy Maye: Darnell Taylor and Pammy Maye: What we know and don’t know about 5-year-old boy’s death

    “Five-year-old Darnell was brutally murdered while others responsible for his care either looked the other way or stood by and did nothing,” wrote attorneys for John O’ Neil and William Price of the Cleveland law firm Elk and Elk in their 49-page lawsuit. .

    The complaint accuses Buckeye Ranch and FCCS of knowing the Mayes were “unfit to care for children,” but the organization continued to keep Darnell in dangerous circumstances. The suit also says the agencies failed to conduct adequate safety and risk assessments required by law and failed to meet minimum standards for representing Darnell’s best interests.

    Maye is charged with aggravated murder, abuse of a corpse and tampering with evidence in Darnell’s Feb. 13 death. The boy died after Maye placed a 30-gallon garbage bag over his body and then into a sleeping bag before dumping him in a sewer. His disappearance prompted a statewide Amber Alert.

    Maye was arrested the next day near Cleveland and told investigators several times what she had done before directing them to where they could find Darnell’s body.

    What does the trial say about Darnell Taylor’s life?

    The lawsuit details the difficult life Darnell had during his five years.

    Darnell was born in January 2019 to parents who were both diagnosed as adults with special needs, and Franklin County Children’s Services placed him in care at Buckeye Ranch immediately after birth. He was born missing a portion of the cerebellum, a part of the brain that helps control balance and motor skills, causing the child to have difficulty walking and routine falls.

    In March 2022, FCCS took Darnell’s emergency temporary custody after a neighbor reported the then-3-year-old boy was left outside in an unattended stroller by his mother. Court records show Darnell was placed with his paternal grandparents as part of a kinship support program intended to eventually reunite him with his mother.

    The suit says a year later, in March 2023, a motion was made for Darnell’s paternal grandparents to gain legal custody of the boy. A report around the same time determined that Darnell had developmental disabilities, needed to be fitted for leg braces and had significant behavioral problems, the suit states.

    Clock: Police video shows Pammy Maye confessing to choking 5-year-old Darnell Taylor

    On March 20, 2023, a report said that Darnell had “regressed to previous swearing and physical aggression” and that the boy, at age 4, was not potty trained and aggressive toward peers and caregivers.

    Darnell’s paternal grandparents indicated they did not want legal custody of the boy in April 2023, citing his “cursing, property destruction and outbursts.”

    Pammy and Jabrell Maye were recommended for temporary arrest as family friends in May 2023, with Darnell officially coming into their care on May 31, 2023. The lawsuit says a home study was completed before Darnell was allowed to live with the Mayes in their Reeb Avenue home.

    What happened after Darnell Taylor moved in with Pammy Maye?

    The lawsuit says red flags quickly began to appear after the Mayes were granted temporary custody.

    Two weeks after Darnell was brought to their home, a caseworker noted that Pammy Maye had not made any of her required medical appointments, had not taken Darnell to any previously scheduled speech therapy. She also makes no effort to schedule visits with Darnell’s biological parents and grandparents, as required by a court order, the suit says.

    Eight days later, another caseworker reviewed Darnell’s case and said there were “no safety concerns” in his placement. The caseworker also noted that Darnell’s speech had improved, but they had no personal contact with the boy to support the finding, according to the lawsuit.

    In July 2023, Darnell’s mother raised concerns with a caseworker that Maye was not responding to calls or texts from relatives to set up visits. The case worker tried to call Maye but got the same answer. Two weeks after that meeting, FCCS filed a motion in Franklin County Juvenile Court to grant legal custody of Mayes.

    On July 28, 2023, the caseworker visited Maye’s Reeb Avenue home unannounced. The lawsuit says the social worker knocked on two doors at the home with no response.

    The caseworker then called Jabrell Maye, who said both he and his wife were home. During that visit, the caseworker spoke with Pammy Maye, who “admitted to blocking each of Darnell’s biological family’s phone numbers,” and the caseworker, the lawsuit says.

    On the same day as the visit, another social worker reported no safety concerns, despite Darnell not being made available to meet, the suit says.

    In August 2023, a caseworker made another unannounced visit to Mayes, again with no answer at the door. The case worker called Jabrell Maye, who then called Pammy Maye and told her to answer the door.

    The lawsuit says that during that visit, Maye said she continued to block the numbers of Darnell’s caseworker and family members, but said there were visits between Darnell and his biological family. Maye also admitted, according to the lawsuit, that she did not take Darnell to appointments with doctors or a behavioral specialist.

    What other red flags did they miss?

    In September 2023, the guardian ad litem appointed to Darnell’s case raised additional concerns. Guardians ad litem are lawyers appointed by a court to protect and support the best interests of the child.

    On September 13, 2023, the suit says, Darnell’s guardian reported to Franklin County Juvenile Court that he had not seen Darnell since the Mayes took custody. He said he was unable to contact the Mayes and went home with no response. The suit says Darnell’s occupational therapy was also canceled due to the number of missed appointments.

    At the same hearing, Franklin County Children Services pleaded for the Mayes to be granted permanent legal custody of Darnell. That same day, a caseworker went to the Mayes’ home and saw the guardian’s business card in the screen door, according to the lawsuit. Jabrell Maye spoke to the caseworker that day.

    Within a week of the hearing, a caseworker told Darnell’s birth mother that the case was closed, according to the lawsuit, and that Mayes would receive custody, despite only one visitation in the four to five months that Darnell was with the couple.

    In November 2023, Darnell’s maternal grandmother and paternal grandparents filed a petition in Franklin County Juvenile Court for visitation.

    A review of the case that same month included findings that there were no safety issues with Darnell; he had made improvements in potty training and cut down on swearing. The lawsuit says there was no communication with the Mayes to support the finding.

    An unannounced visit with the Mayes on December 27, 2023, less than two months before Darnell’s death, ended with a caseworker unable to contact Pammy Maye. Jabrell told caseworker Darnell that he had not been to school or any Head Start or preschool appointments, had no medical appointments, had no visits with his biological family, and had not been fitted with braces.

    A review of the case on 29 December 2023 found “no active safety plan in place despite all the issues”.

    It was determined, according to the lawsuit, that the last visit Darnell had with his biological family was in September 2023.

    In January 2024, a case worker who reviewed the case again found that there was no safety plan in place.

    What did Darnell Taylor’s family do?

    The lawsuit says that in January 2024, about a month before Darnell was killed, his mother contacted the caseworker to renew her concerns.

    During that meeting, Darnell’s mother said she had no communication or visitation with her son and said she would seek custody of the boy if efforts were not made to improve the situation, the suit says.

    A meeting with Darnell’s father, the lawsuit says, provided caseworkers with similar information. Family members had gone to the Mayes’ home, but the lights were off and no one came to the door. Phone calls and text messages went unanswered.

    Three unannounced visits in January 2024, including one on January 31, ended with the caseworker leaving without speaking to anyone at the home. On Jan. 31, the caseworker noticed lights on inside the home and the family’s car was in the driveway, but no one came to the door.

    Darnell’s maternal grandmother also tried repeatedly to reach out to Mayes. The lawsuit says that between June 2023 and February 2024, she made at least 31 unanswered phone calls.

    According to the lawsuit, other family members reached out via text messages, left voicemails and went to the Mayes’ home without connecting with Darnell.

    Pammy Maye is the only person facing criminal charges related to Darnell’s death. Her next court date is scheduled for Dec. 4. Her attorney, Sam Shamansky, has indicated that he will argue that Maye is not guilty by reason of insanity.

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